Stomachs were smiling under the elevated 7 train in Sunnyside on Tuesday night, as 28 local businesses came out to give the borough a taste of what they have to offer.
The Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District celebrated its 2015 Taste of Sunnyside, a one-of-a-kind culinary event highlighting local businesses, under the subway line at 46th Street and Queens Boulevard.
“This is our biggest event of the year. We try to promote Sunnyside and all the great local restaurants and other businesses,” said Rachel Thieme, executive director of Sunnyside Shines.
The festival, which was sold out, featured sample treats and beverages from 28 Sunnyside establishments. Cuisines ranged from various countries around the world including Tibet, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Italy and Paraguay.
Bites and beverages were also provided by event sponsors Associated Marketplace, Fresh n Save Marketplace, Lowery Wines and Liquors, Queens Brewery and SingleCut Brewery.
“Queens is moving and shaking. Folks are coming here to the borough of Queens to build and open their restaurants, to open their stores. We are in our core a borough of neighborhoods and those neighborhoods are sustained by our restaurants and our businesses and all of the community that comes out to support Sunnyside,” Queens Borough President Melinda Katz said. “Enjoy the fact that Sunnyside is on the move, Queens is on the move.”
The night also featured a full lineup of performers including local group Sunnyside Social Club – which filled the tent with mixes of folk, punk and jazz – and a presentation from the Thalia Spanish Theatre with Danza España and flamenco dancers.
“Sunnyside is an amazing place to live and work, start a business, raise a family, and I am so grateful every day to be a Sunnysider,” Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said.
Van Bramer also told the crowd that after tasting what the restaurants and establishments have to offer, they should go back out and “spend a lot of money” to support the businesses until next year’s Taste of Sunnyside.
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